Conventional connection mechanisms utilize a canted coil spring and specific groove geometries to achieve locking and/or latching. In the case of locking, the device becomes permanently locked, meaning that removal can only occur by permanently damaging the canted coil spring. In the case of latching, the device can be unlatched but includes a single removal force. Locking is achieved between two mating parts (e.g., cylindrical part or shaft and housing) where a tapered bottom groove exists in the housing and holds an axial spring and where the tapered bottom groove aligns with a corresponding groove on the cylindrical part which accepts the spring. The tapered bottom groove is configured in such a way that the spring compresses along the minor access upon insertion but not upon removal. If a user unwisely attempts to unlatch the latching device anyway, the spring will be forced to compress along its major axis upon removal, which permanently damages the spring due to the characteristics of a canted coil spring only allowing an insignificant compression along the major axis.
For a typical application, upon insertion of the cylindrical part, such as a shaft or a pin, into a bore of a housing, the entry edge of the cylindrical part comes into contact with the axial spring and causes the spring to rotate in the tapered bottom groove. This also pushes the spring coils into the deeper region of the tapered bottom groove, allowing room for the coils to compress along the minor axis. Once the corresponding groove in the cylindrical part comes in contact with the spring, the spring has more room available to uncompress or relax along the minor axis causing the spring to fall into the corresponding groove with the spring maintaining a small amount of compression in a holding state. Removal of the cylindrical part would force the canted coil spring to rotate in the opposite direction, forcing the major axis of the coils to rotate towards the shallow end of the tapered bottom groove. Due to the corresponding groove in the inserted part exhibiting a holding effect, it is not possible for the spring to rotate properly to allow for removal because this requires a significant amount of deflection along the major axis. However, the only foreseeable outcome with this approach is for the spring to damage, thus resulting in a mechanical lock.